The invention aims to provide an assembly enabling to stow a respiratory mask and to provide the respiratory mask supplying a breathing gas to a crew member in the event of an emergency for example.
The respiratory mask has a face cover and a harness. The face cover has a respiratory cavity and the harness is extendable between a deflated configuration and an inflated configuration. The respiratory mask is adapted to be placed in a use position in which the facer cover applies on the face of crew member around the mouth and nose. In the use position, the harness is in the (at least partially) deflated configuration and forms a loop extending around the head of the crew member on a side opposite from the face cover so as to hold the face cover on the face of the crew member.
The respiratory mask may further comprise a shield. The shield protects the eyes of the user from any airborne elements, particularly smoke. The shield may also support a display device. The shield may be comprised in the face cover or can be part of separate element which can be released from the face cover.
The assembly comprises the respiratory mask and a stowage device. The respiratory mask may be arranged in a stowage position in the stowage device located in the cabin of a commercial aircraft transporting the crew members and the passengers. The aircraft further comprises a pressurizing device which pressurizes the cabin to enable the passengers and crew members to breathe normally within the cabin.
In case of depressurization, the user of the assembly which is usually the pilot or co-pilot, grabs the respiratory mask which is located in the stowage device. The user then inflates the harness in order to form a large loop through which the head of the user can be put. The respiratory mask is placed around the user's head in order to breathe through the face cover, which thus supplies the user with breathing gas (usually a respiratory gas comprising breathing and ambient gas).
A stowage device for the respiratory mask is therefore important, in order to protect the respiratory mask when not in use.
When an emergency condition is detected, the user has less than five seconds to grab the respiratory mask and position the face cover on his face. Therefore, such a stowage device must also be placed in a predefined position proximate the user, to allow a crew member to quickly grasp the mask and position it on his face.
This is the reason why the stowage devices are sometimes placed in the dashboard of the cockpit, within the reach of the pilot or co-pilot. With the same reasoning, the stowage devices may be located up above, near the pilot or co-pilot.
Document WO2017/055764A1 provides an assembly comprising a respiratory mask having an oronasal face cover and a harness, the oronasal face cover having a respiratory cavity and being suitable for applying on the face of the crew member around the mouth and nose, the harness forming a loop adapted to extend around the head of the user on a side opposite from the oronasal face cover so as to hold the oronasal face cover on the face of the user, and a storage device, said storage device comprising a base and a platform, the platform being mounted so as to be movable relative to the base between a retracted position and an extended position, the platform having a receiving surface, the receiving surface of the platform being adapted to receive the respiratory mask in a storage position where the harness holds the oronasal face cover against the receiving surface of the platform by encircling the platform to form a loop extending around the platform on the opposite side from the oronasal face cover, the respiratory mask being releasable from the storage device.
The assembly disclosed in document WO2017/055764A1 can be placed in most of the aircraft cockpits, as the base can be a bit distant from the user while it is quite easy to use as the platform has a shape close to a head (where the users have habit to place it).